Steve Esno, of Crestline, tries to interest his son, Wyatt, age 4, in a Phantom Wheel firework while shopping Tuesday at Phantom Fireworks in Mansfield.

Written by

Ohio's frequently ignored ban against amateur, backyard fireworks shows, likely to occur in neighborhoods across the state this Independence Day, seems unlikely to change despite pleas from fireworks companies' executives.

William Weimer, vice president of Phantom Fireworks, which operates 11 stores in Ohio, called the state's current law a "shell game." Legislators know people want to use fireworks, he said, but certain groups, such as firefighters, ophthalmologists and pediatricians, frequently oppose legalizing them, so authorities passively allow the practice with lax ...